Shikoku Henro Michi // day 27 // Uchiko - Kuma Kōgen

Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage, day 27.
Temples: None.
Distance: 37.2km (801.9km), time spent: 10:05.
Weather: Rain.

Weather today should come as no surprise, it is going to rain. The pilgrimage trail is now heading towards the inland of Shikoku, towards the two temples located closest to the middle of the island. With the exception of these two (#44-45) and those in the first days of my walk (those close to #12), most temples are located relatively close to the sea. I guess it is the proximity to where people live that determines the location of the temples, and the centre of Shikoku seems to be less densely populated.

The Uchikoza Theater in Uchiko.

Finding motivation to wake up is not always easy when you know that the moment you start walking, you will be back in the chilly embrace of the rain. At this Henro House, there are not any meals included, but in the morning I find out that the hostess has kindly made some hot soup for me and provided me with some riceballs and a sweet bread. That is so sweet.

Hachiman Shrine in Uchiko.

Uchiko Antique Street.

Uchiko appear to be a small town that has several interesting places to look at if you arrive early enough. I arrived late, so I have to do my sightseeing in the morning instead, after leaving Yamamomo Henro House for Kuma Kōgen. Not time to visit a show, but I take a look at the old Uchikoza Theater, which features a stage that can support the Kabuki style theater. Not located directly on the path, but just a short walk away, I find the Uchiko Antique Street dating from several hundred years ago, a well-preserved merchant street that people still live in. Briefly looking at the Takahashi Residence from the outside, the home of an old merchant that was one of the founders of one of the most known breweries in Japan (I do not remember which), before finally replacing my tourist suit with my henro suit again.

Alongside the Oda river.

From Uchiko I set about on the long walk up to Kuma Kōgen, just the name of the place is giving me the vibe of being a remote and desolate place. It does not take long time before the trail finds its place alongside the Oda river, following its curves and bends as it flows down the valley. Where the route goes through the tunnels, I go the small and nearly overgrowing country roads around instead. Located on both sides of the valley and river are tiny hamlets and farms, all nestled underneath the hillsides. This is such an atmospheric walk that I am forgetting the rain.

Myooji temple in Ōse.

The 'hidden' shrine above the Myooji temple.

In the small village of Ōse, I come across an ancient-looking temple called Myooji. At the back of the temple there is a staircase that leads away up into the hills, how far up does it go? That I do not know, but I know that I have to go up. Not counting all the wet stairs I climb, I get to a small shrine tucked away behind two tall stones forming some sort of gate. Cool, I love these micro-adventures my curiosity takes me on.

Sometimes you come across these kind of homes on the pilgrimage, homes of local artists or sculpturers perhaps. A cheerful sight when the sky is anything but.

I have a feeling of venturing deeper and deeper into a hidden kingdom surrounded by misty mountains, in which I will find the next temples inside, Daihōji and Iwayaji. The road is following the undulating valley as the mountainsides seems to be closing in on me. There has been several good places that can be used to stay at for henros today, two of them a Daishidō or small shrine. The Uchiko henro-hut is also good for an overnight stay, if you do not mind its openness, it comes with a shower too.

The road going ever further into the misty mountains towards temple #44 (Daihōji) and #45 (Iwayaji).

Changing from Oda river to Tado river, I head up into a valley that appear to be less populated. I had wanted to visit the okunoin of #51 (Ishiteji, which is quite far from here actually) and Gongenyama, but my eagerness to walk further yesterday has made that impossible. If I go that way, I will for sure arrive too late at my ryokan in Kuma Kōgen. Keeping my curiosity on a leash, I find the small regional road 42. It disappears into the misty mountains, taking me with it, not knowing where it will lead me to.

Regional road 42.

After walking for some while, having enjoyed the quiet country road next to a little river, and passing by some remote villages where I wonder how the people there makes their living; I do not enjoy the lack of waymarkers. The little road that I have been walking on has becoming narrower and I start to wonder if I have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Actually, I cannot remember seeing any waymarker since I took off from road 379. Also, my waterbottle is empty, thanks to my own stupidness when I forgot to fill it up before it was too late. My salvation comes at a shrine, where a blessed little waymarker is just visible beneath the wooden torii. I surmise it to be Mishima Jinja and here I also find water.

The path up to the Shimosakabatōge pass.

View of the clouds from the Shimosakabatōge pass.

Further up, the small road is getting thinner and thinner, before it almost seemlessly blends into a wooden path heading up into the misty hills and mountains. Time is flowing away with the clouds, the clock has already passed three when I walk up on a beautiful undulating path towards the Shimosakabatōge pass. At the pass I have my head in the clouds, with the valley disappearing out of sight, small hilltops barely visible from time to time. And although time looks to have stood still at the Katsuragi Jinja, the clock is over four when I come to a nice resting hut (it has a clock too).

At Hiwatatō pass.

The final walk before I get to Kuma Kōgen is another mysterious walk over a pass through deep forest. It starts off in the exact same manner as earlier, on a narrowing road before heading off into the wooden embrace on a distinct path. Small shrines and idols watches over my steps, the vegetation is sometimes dense, sometimes open. At the Hiwatatō pass, I am at the highest point of the walk, not very high up really, at 790m. Leaving the pass with its Danjiri Rock, I walk past trees that are bent in strange ways, it is as if you are looking at them through a glass.

Bent trees after the Hiwatatō pass, like looking at straight trees through a glass.

Needless to say, but I say it anyway, I arrive a little bit later at my accommodation than I should. Thirty minutes off. No one at Omogo Ryokan when I walk in the door, but after a short while the hostess appears. Not in a good mood by the look of her. Guessing it is because I arrived later than what is considered polite, I know nothing else than pointing at my wrist (indicating a watch) and saying 'gomen nasai'. There is another henro at the ryokan too, the first I have met throughout the whole day. Violaine is from Belgium, but she is one day ahead of me, coming back from temple #44 and #45 today. She also arrived late. So, the hostess has two gaijins at the place that both arrived too late and in addition does not speak Japanese. The hot bath does feel great anyway.

A Jizō statue next to a small creek.

Eager for company, I ask Violaine if she wants to eat dinner together with me, and gladly she accepts. She has got a tip of a good place to eat, but it is closed, so we go to the restaurant at the Petit Hotel instead. It is great seeing someone else again and she is really nice company. Quite good food too.

Weather forgiving was it a good day today. I kind of enjoyed walking up this undulating valley, even underneath the not very cheerful sky. Both place- and timewise this day felt quite far away from the early days.

Kuma Kōgen.

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